Environmental

Every week our sanitarians go on location to inspect businesses to ensure they are meeting health standards of West Virginia for Housing, Water, Food, Sewage, and Clean Indoor Air Regulation of Kanawha County. Inspection reports are available for viewing.

Environmental Health is responsible for promoting and protecting the public’s health by ensuring that the county’s food supply is safe and sanitary. There are over 1,200 permitted food establishments in Kanawha County. KCHD permits and inspects all businesses or establishments that sell food to the public. Examples include restaurants, bars, schools, hospitals, day cares, temporary food stands, retail establishments, etc.

The purpose of the water program is to ensure that the public’s health is protected through safe drinking water, proper well and water supply system construction and site location evaluation for wells before installation. Prevention from contamination of the on-site water supply is a high priority of the program.

Many residents of Kanawha County utilize individual home sewage disposal systems since sanitary sewers are not accessible to all parts of the county. KCHD staff work hard to ensure that sewage disposal systems function properly and do not compromise drinking and ground water quality. KCHD permits, inspects and approves on-site wastewater system installations and works with subdivisions, sewage treatment plants, home aeration units and septic tank cleaners to ensure that the regulations governing them are followed.

The Recreation Program deals mainly with summertime outdoor programs, with the exception of the Indoor Water Facilities. Swimming pools, spas, hot tubs and bathing beaches are governed by the new State Bureau of Public Health Recreational Water Facilities Rule which came into effect July 1, 2002. The KCHD inspects over 105 water facilities in the county.

Housing encompasses a wide range of programs. The main purpose of any program in the housing division is to ensure a clean, safe and sanitary environment. All permitted establishments in each program are inspected a minimum of two times a year, except public schools, which are inspected bi-annually. The KCHD permits Child Care Centers, Bed and Breakfasts, Mobile Home Parks, Hotel/Motels, and Public and private Schools.

During natural disasters like flooding, floodwaters carry disease-causing organisms that can lead to serious illness or even death, the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department recommends that you take precautions. As you begin the task of cleaning up your home or business and salvaging belongings remember to take the proper precautions to protect your health. Resources Instructions for […]

The United States Surgeon General and numerous other credible authorities and medical researchers have determined that the simple separation of smokers and nonsmokers within the same airspace may reduce, but does not eliminate, the exposure of nonsmokers to environmental tobacco smoke, and smoking bans remain the most viable and cost-effective method of protecting patrons. This page contains a copy of the Kanawha Charleston Health Department Clean Indoor Air Regulation.